Silencer.



H. HUMM.

SILENGER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1914.

1,127,250. Patented Feb.2, 1915.

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H. HUMM.

SILENGER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1914 1,127,250. Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HANS HUMM, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'IO FRIEDRICH W. L. GRAB, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

' SILENCER Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

POJaZZ whom it may concern Be it. known that I, HANS HUMM, a citizen of the United States, residin at the :ity and county of Denver and tate of Jolorado, have invented certain new and lseful Improvements in Silencers; and I do leclare the following to be a full, clear, and :xact description of the invention, such as vill enable others skilled in the art to which t appertains to make and use the same, ref- :rence being had to the accompanying lrawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this pecification.

My invention relates to improvements in ilencers or means for neutralizing the ound or report resulting from explosions ncident to the firing of guns, the operation of explosive engines, and other similar exlosions or noises where the products of ombustion must pass through a channel of ubstantial length before escaping into the .tmosphere, thus making it practicable to vpply an article of this character. As it is vell known, the sound, as of the report of a ,un, is'due to the sudden disturbance of the tmosphere resulting from the escape of air nd the products of combustion from the fun barrel under the great pressure due to he force of the explosion, this force or presure being confined within the gun barrel ntil it reaches the atmosphere and at this nstant the sound vibrations which form the eport commence.

My object is to dissipate, as it were, the ressure of the air and products of comustion by causing the s'ame'to pass through multiplicity of relatively small channels whereby the compressed air and gas is so ivided and broken up, or dissipated that 3 reaches the air in almost an infinite numer of places and in relatively small quanities, with the result that not only is the orce of the air and gas pressure practically eutralized, but the quantity of air or gas ormally confined in the gun barrel is disributed over such a large area of atmoshere that the disturbance is practically unoticeable. 4 I

Having briefly outlined my improved conbru'ction, I will proceed to describe the same 1 detail, reference being made to the ac ompanyingdrawing, in which is illustrated n embodiment thereof. In this drawing,-

Figure 1 is. .a side elevation of a gun equipped with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the silencer, a fragment of the gun barrel to which the same is attached only being illustrated, the parts being shown on a much larger scale. Fig. 3

is a detail view of the innermost tube of the silencer, shown on the same scale as in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the inner and finer convolutions of wire mesh employed in connection, and surrounding the tube shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the coarser mesh employed near the-outer extremity of the silencer and forward of the mesh convolutions of the construction shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view of the material forming the convolutions annularly arranged outwardly from and surrounding the convolutions formed by the forms of mesh material shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 7 illustrates the silencer as applied to the outer extremity of an exhaust pipe,'as that of an explosive engine.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Referring first to the form of construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, let the numeral 5 designate the silencer considered in its entirety and composed of an inner tube 6; a spiral spring 7 located within the tube; a series of layers 8 of relatively fine wire mesh material surrounding the tube 6 and extending from a. rear head 10 of the silencer forwardly to a point 9; while between the point 9 and the forward extremity 12 of the silencer, a number of layers 13 of coarser wire mesh material are located, but arranged around and outside of the tube 6 in substantially the same manner as the layers 8.

Outside of the layers 8 and 13 of the wire mesh material, is a series of layers 14 of woven material and preferably consisting of asbestos or other similar non-combust1ble woven fabric.

Outside of the outermost of the layers 14;

of the fabric is located a perforated casing 15, which is threaded to the outer edge of the rear head 10 of the device, as shown at 16. The tube 6 has a rearwardly extending non-perforated or nonslotted part 17, which fits over and around the forward extremity of the gun barrel 18, but secured thereto by a fastenin screw 19. The forward. extremity 12 o the silencer forms a ion part of the outer shell of the structure, and fits closely around the forward extremity of the tube 6, as shown at 20.

The spaces of the convolutions of the spiral spring 7. within the tube 6 progressively increase from the rear extremity to the forward extremity of the silencer.

The comparative mesh of the layers 8, 13 and 14 which are located between the tube 6 and the casing 15, is illustrated in Figs. 4:, 5 and 6, in which Fig. 4 indicates the mesh of the layers 8; Fig. 5 the mesh of the layers 13 and Fig. 6 the mesh of the layers 14.

Assuming that the silencer is attached to the muzzle of the gun barrel 8 (see Fig. 1), as the gun is fired, any air which may be therein and the gases or products of combustion, as soon as they leave the muzzle of the gun, will immediately begin to escape, first through the spaces between the convolutions of the spiral. spring 7, thence through the perforations or elongated openings of the' tube 6, thence through the layers 8 of the relatively fine wire mesh material in the rear of the point 9 (see Fig. 2) and thence through the layers 14 of relatively coarser fibrous material, and thence out through the perforations of the. casing 15, to the atmosphere. Forward of the point 9, the air and gases under the reduced pressure inci-- dent to their escape as just explained, will pass out through the larger spaces between the convolutions of the spiral spring, thence through the layers 13 and thence through the fibrous layers 14 near the forward extremity of the silencer. By virtue of this result, the pressure of the air and gases is sufficiently reduced, owing tothe provision made for their escape through the silencer, that theexit of the remainder from the forward opening 21 of the silencer causes practically no report.

In the form of the device shown in Fig. 7 the construction is substantially the same except that there is a threaded connection and 6, respectively. The outer perforated between the rear head 22 of the silencer and the outer extremity of the tube or pipe 23,

while the rear extremity 24 of the perforated tube 25 is also threaded upon the pipe extremity 23. In this form of construction, a spiral spring 26 is arranged in substantially the same manner as in the other form. This is a so true of the layers 27 and 28 of the wire mesh material and fibrous layers 29 of coarser mesh, the meshes of the layers 27, 28 and 29 being as illustrated in Figsr-t, 5

casing 30 is substantially the same as in the other form of construction, except that it is larger at the .base and tapers forwardly, thus reducing the thickness of the layers of mesh material surrounding the tube 25 to a corresponding degreea Furthermore, in the form of construction shown in Fig. 7, an

' the mesh layers.

of the silencer,being secured to the forward extremity 32 of the tube 25 by means of screw threads and a lock nut 33. The rear portion of this tube 31 tapers rearwardly, so that the pressure which enters th'is"portion of the tube is allowed to expand as it enters the forward or larger tube portion. This tube is so arranged and supported within the central portion of the silencer that it catches a portion of the compressed air and gases and removes them without the necessity of passing them through the various layers of the annular wall of. the silencer. By virtue of the construction and arrangement of the tube 31, the normal pressure ofthe portion. of the air' and gases which enter this tube is considerably diminished.

It is believed that the invention will be fully understood from the foregoing description, hence additional explanation in detail is not deemed necessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is,

1. A silencer composed of a central per forated tube, layers of relatively fine mesh material surrounding the tube and layers of coarser mesh material surrounding the first named layers, and an outer perforated casing, the forward portion of the mesh layers adjacent the tube being of coarser mesh than the corresponding layers in the rear.

2. A silencer composed of a central perforated tube, layers of relativey fine mesh material surrounding the tube and layers of coarser mesh material surrounding the first named layers, and an outer perforated casing, the forward portion of the mesh layers adjacent the tube being of coarser mesh than the corresponding layers in the rear, the outer layers of coarser mesh material surrounding those nearer the inner tube being composed of non-combustible material.

3. A silencer composed of a central tube,

'a spiral spring fitting within the tube, layers of relatively fine mesh material surrounding the tube. layers of coarsermesh material surrounding the first named meshlayers and an outer perforated casing inclosing 4. A silencer composed of a central tube. of relatively fine mesh material surrounding a spiral spring fitting within the tube,layers the tube. layers of coarser mesh material surrounding the first named mesh layers. and an outer perforated casing inclosing thr mesh layers, the convolutions of the spiral springbeing separated and the, spaces between said con'volutio'ns progressively increasing from the rear toward the front substantially as described,

. 5. The combination with a gun barrel 0] other tubular device adapted for the passagr of gas and products of combustion under pressure, of a silencer comprising an inner perforated tube Whose rear extremity is secured to the muzzle of the gun barrel or other-similar device, a spiral spring within the tube and having its convolutions spaced, layers of mesh material annularly arranged around the tube and varying as to the size of the openings therein, and an outer perforated casing surrounding the mesh layers, substantially as described.

6. A silencer having a central opening and walls composed of a series of annularly arranged layers of material open to the passage of gas under pressure, the aggregate area of the escape openings progressively increasing outwardly from the central openlng, a tube centrally suspended in the rear portion of the opening and having its forward portion tapered toward its rear extremity, which is smallest.

7. A silencer having a central opening and walls composed of a series of annularly ar ranged layers of material open to the passage of gas under pressure, the aggregate area of the escape openings progressively increasing outwardly from the central opening, a tube centrally suspended in the rear portion of the opening and having its for ward portion tapered toward its rear extremity, which is smallest, the said central opening being also provided with a spiral spring extending the entire length thereof and surrounding the aforesaid tube, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HANS HUMM.

Witnesses:

MAZE KIRLY, A. EBERT OBRIEN. 

